ABOUT PROJECT POSTCARDVAE is encouraging middle and high school students to participate in Project Postcard, a brand new expansion of the Young Artist Exhibition! While our previous Young Artist Exhibitions have been great successes, Project Postcard helps VAE include more students and is more closely aligned with our mission to encourage new ideas, new mediums and innovation. In today’s culture we so rarely mail things. This project will encourage students to think about the ways in which we communicate our creative ideas.

Teachers, students and parents are encouraged to request postcards using the form below. VAE will then send out the package of postcards. Middle and High School students will use the postcards as a base for their creative ideas, staying within the guidelines printed on the back. Using the First Class postage provided, the postcards will be mailed back to VAE and then exhibited in our storefront windows and additional arts venues in Downtown Raleigh.

We want to help students and their families experience the energy of First Friday and downtown Raleigh’s creative scene! It is an inspiring way to see all the people who support the arts and explore the many venues dedicated to exhibiting art in Raleigh. To make sure everyone experiences the big picture of the event, we have designed the project to be exhibited in different venues that are easily walkable, but will direct people to more than one gallery.

This project encourages students to be CREATIVE, while working within RESTRICTION, and includes an element of CHANCE. Intriguing, no?

CREATIVE – There is no set subject matter, students may use any materials (other than buttons or string, sorry USPS rules!), and there is no correct way to make a great product for this project.

RESTRICTION – The United States Post Office has a few restrictions that students will have to stay within to insure that their postcard makes it through the mail. VAE will send First Class postage along with the postcard package, we ask that each student use no more than one stamp to mail their finished piece back to VAE. Finished works can be no thicker than 1/4″ and cannot weigh more than a can of soda.

CHANCE – The US Post Office will be a collaborator on each piece of artwork! Some elements of the artwork may not hold up as well to the mailing process as others. Some cards may be postmarked differently or in a different location than others. All of this will add additional interest to each piece!

The Secret Postcard Exhibition at The Royal College of Art, London

HOW TO PARTICIPATETeachers, students, or parents can use the form below to request one of three packages of postcards for any middle or high school student to participate.

Classwork Package – 30 postcards and 10 stampsThis is the perfect package for a teacher looking to have their entire class make art on postcards, select 10 pieces to be exhibited, and mail those pieces to VAE to be exhibited.

Side Project Package – 10 postcards and 10 stampsA great package for sending postcards homes with students to use in their spare time or small art clubs.

Individual Package – 2 postcards and 1 stampPerfect package for any individual student or parent to request for a single student.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONSProject Postcard is designed to align with the North Carolina Essential Standards in Visual Arts competency goals: B.CX.1: understand the global, historical and cultural contexts of the visual arts and B.CX.1: understand the interdisciplinary connections and life applications of the visual arts, in particular A.CX.2.3 Understand the collaborative relationship between the artist and the community. The project’s public viewing component pushes students to use their work to communicate with a broader audience, and experience interdisciplinary art connections during the exhibitions. Further, Project Postcard allows students to see the effect of the location of the work (B.CX.1.5). The project allows for the exhibition of all media and encourage experimentation with new techniques for exhibition, which aligns with B.V.3: create art using a variety of tools. This project aligns with B.CX.2 in that it involved a collaborative processes and needs planning and problem solving skills for success. Further, participation in the exhibition and gallery walk will provide an opportunity for students to use critical analysis to generate responses to a variety of prompts B.CR.1.

VAE is a non-profit creativity incubator, gallery and artist hub, as well as the force behind SPARKcon! Each year VAE exhibits the work of more than 1,300 artists in 70+ exhibitions and hosts 50+ learning + networking experiences to connect the creative community.